


the fox and the prince

by clarakent (niewanyin)



Series: Jason Todd Week [6]
Category: Batman - All Media Types, DCU (Comics)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternative Universe - Kingdom, Fluff and Angst, Fox Selkie Jason Todd, M/M, Prince Tim Drake, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-26
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:29:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,125
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22914025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/niewanyin/pseuds/clarakent
Summary: Tim laughs. "I'm glad to know that the fox in the bushes can always be caught with a book," he teases, and Jason's face grows warm. He likes it when Tim teases him gently like this. It always makes him feel more human. He likes being human, when he's human with Tim. "Alright. Please have fun? For me?"Jason tilts his head. "You don't have fun?"
Relationships: Tim Drake/Jason Todd
Series: Jason Todd Week [6]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1642177
Comments: 10
Kudos: 253





	the fox and the prince

**Author's Note:**

> For Fantasy/Supernatural AU for Jason Todd Week.
> 
> Yes, Jason is a kind of fox-selkie, Rider_of_Spades is partly responsible for that idea

Jason hands the carefully folded skin to Tim. The handsome prince smiles, his hands caressing the soft fur like it's the most precious thing in the world. "Thank you for this honor," he whispers. Jason ducks his head down, blushing furiously.

"I cannot trust anyone more," Jason tells him. "Only you."

It's true. From the moment that the young prince had found Jason in the woods, leg bleeding from a trap. He had shed his skin, but it was still in it and Jason didn't want to leave it for too long. Tim had, in minutes of laying eyes on Jason, freed the skin and bandaged Jason's leg up, whispering soothing words in a kind voice, a kindness that Jason hadn't known from any human, not even from his natural mother.

And so, when Jason wants to become human and explore the human world that he loves so much, which ultimately is just the bookstore and the bakery but they're places that make Jason feel more alive, he gives his skin to Tim because there's no better hands for them to be in.

"What are you doing today?" Tim asks, putting the skin in a special drawer reserved only for Jason. They're in the castle, the warm spring breeze filtering through the open windows, and Jason can't stop the smile when the wind blows Tim's hair around. He's tempted to brush the hair out of Tim's face, but he forces his hands to his side.

"I'm not sure." Jason does his best not to look at Tim's petal-pink, positive that they would be soft to the touch. "Perhaps see if any new books have come into the bookstore? Else, I suppose I can reread the favorites."

Tim laughs. "I'm glad to know that the fox in the bushes can always be caught with a book," he teases, and Jason's face grows warm. He likes it when Tim teases him gently like this. It always makes him feel more human. He likes being human, when he's human with Tim. "Alright. Please have fun? For me?"

Jason tilts his head. "You don't have fun?"

Tim shrugs, looking down at the bed. "It's hard in this life. My older brother is content with being a general in the army, and my younger brother hasn't realized that he would despise ruling and would give it all up in weeks to work with animals or nature or lead an army of mercenaries. Or all three. And my sister is content on making sure that the citizens are being well-cared for, but no desire to wear the crown or meet foreign diplomats or anything else that involves politics. I am my father's heir in that regard, and no one else."

"You're lonely," Jason whispers. "You're so lonely."

Tim wipes his face for some reason. "It's a king's burden to always be lonely. I am just glad I realized that lesson sooner than my father. It's going to save me a lot of pain in the future."

"No," Jason says, taking a step closer to Tim. "Listen to your heart. It's causing you pain  _ now. _ You need more than just duty." Tim says nothing, so Jason walks closer, until he's right behind Tim, looking down at that soft black hair, the strands still dancing in the wind. "Please let me help you."

"How?" Tim's voice cracks, and Jason feels like it could cause him almost physical pain. Tim should never sound like that. He's too good a person to be so sad.

"Come with me," Jason whispers. "Or let me stay here. Let us talk and read and enjoy each other's time. Fun doesn't have to be those drunken brawls and songs I see in the taverns, it can be the two of us in peace."

"I have reports-"

"You had reports the last time I saw you, and you will have reports the next time I saw. You will always have reports. It's the natural state of the world. But it's clear to me that you do not always have fun, so you need to take it when it's being offered to you." He sighs. "And I feel like I'm the only one who's offering it to you."

Tim turns around, refusing to look at Jason, but it just gives him more of a chance to see the falling tears on his face, the lip trying desperately not to quiver. Jason doesn't even think before he hugs Tim.

It's the first time that he's touched the prince that was hands lingering as Jason gave him his skin, or Tim wrapping up his wound. The prince is a small and slender man, but he's harder than Jason would have thought muscles felt clearly beneath his skin. He's warm as well, and Jason just wants to keep himself wrapped around the small man to enjoy that warmth. He turns his head and presses a kiss to Tim's hair, nuzzles his neck in hopes that it'll make him feel better, to take away his pain and sorrow. It takes Tim a moment, but eventually, he brings his arms around Jason, pressing his face into Jason's chest as his shoulders shake with sobs that he refuses to announce to the world. It is just Jason and Tim, the only sound the soft rustle of the wind through the room.

He doesn't know if it's minutes or hours before Tim pulls back, and Jason lets him go. Tim wipes away, but looks at Jason and smiles. "Thank you for that."

"Forever," Jason says. "I will stand by you for however long you need me."

Tim laughs bitterly. "I am afraid that if I start needing you, I will never be able to stop."

"Trust me." Jason tells him. "You will never need to think about stopping with me."

Tim looks at him, tilting his head as he takes in all of Jason, sizing him up and then nodding. "You make a strong argument."

Jason can't stop the smile from appearing on his face. "I do?"

"Yes," Tim laughs. "I will have fun with you. Leave these reports for another time. Just like you want." He looks up at Jason with the bluest eyes. "Just like I need to."

Jason doesn't know who moves first. It's slow, their mouths inching closer and closer together, giving the other enough time to back-out, but refusing to do so because it feels fated. Their mouths kiss softly, intimately, and Jason's hands end up in Tim's hair and Tim's hands end up on his shoulders, both trying to bring the other closer to them, feeling like they can't get any closer, but still desperate to try.

This is what being human is, Jason realizes. 

It's being with the one you love.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm salazarastark on tumblr as well, so follow me [here](https://salazarastark.tumblr.com/)! I'm not as active as I'd like to be, but I'm always up for talking about my fics or anything else!


End file.
